A World Apart

6. His Majesty

Asking Bree to take her to the library was a decision made on impulse. She had woken to the girl opening her door with a heave as she balanced a tray of food and noticed she came alone this time. No Sarai today, and it gave Elena the idea. Sarai was older and probably very suspicious of everything Elena might suggest, but Bree was young and innocent, and much more likely to be helpful in Elena's quest to figure out how to get home.

"Bree," she began, thoughtfully munching a handful of berries, "Is there a library here in the castle?" Surely there must be, didn't all castles in books and movies have one? It was a trademark symbol for royalty.

Bree's eyes widened, "Yes milady, but it is often... occupied."

Elena stared blankly at her, occupied?

"We could..." her voice faltered, "Well, I could... no," she muttered to herself and Elena waited, careful not to exert pressure lest the girl outright refuse her.

Finally, she looked up as though her mind was decided, "It is early yet milady, the library may not be in use. I could take you there directly and if it is empty you could peruse it for a little while." Her eyes looked determined and Elena knew she would likely get no such offer from Sarai.

"Perfect," she smiled and wiped her mouth with a napkin, "Please lead the way."

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The door they had stopped in front of was nondescript, nothing to indicate it was different in any way from the other multitude of doors flanking either side of the hallway. It was located at the very end with another large cathedral window set in the wall beside it and directly across was a small winding staircase leading downward. Beneath the window was a small unpolished oak bench.

Bree looked nervous as she knocked. Upon hearing no reply, the small girl quietly opened it and peeked inside. Elena was anxious to follow her in but waited until Bree nodded to her, holding the door open to allow her to pass. It wasn't until Elena looked back to see Bree closing it with herself on the other side that she asked, "Aren't you staying?"

Again Bree gave Elena the impression of a frightened deer, "Oh no, milady. I'll just be outside the door in case the person who usually occupies this room comes, that way I can have enough time..."

Bree didn't need to finish. Elena knew from the way she had acted ever since the suggestion of coming here that a visit to the library was somehow not something Elena would be approved to do for whatever reason. Which meant she needed to look quickly.

"Thank you Bree, I'll try to hurry."

The door closed quietly and she turned around and gave a low gasp, struggling to take in the room that could fit her entire apartment inside it. Each wall was covered from floor to ceiling with sturdy wooden shelves absolutely brimming with books. When she imagined stately libraries in some wealthy person's home, she always pictured rows and rows of books in matching sets, each volume almost identical to the last and easy to find. This looked like a secondhand bookstore after a bomb went off. There was no rhyme or reason to the arrangement that she could tell and she felt dizzy the higher up she looked.

On the outer facing wall were two huge diamond-paned windows for light, in the center was a large round table, with stacks of books carelessly piled on top of one another interspersed with yellowed scrolls, their ragged edges brittle and tattered. A lone pipe tray was perched close to the table's edge, the pipe left on its side in a pile of fresh tobacco. On the ceiling was another elaborate mural, this time of a large medallion spanning the entire width of the chamber. Its colors of red, gold, green, and blue seemed to glow in the filtered sunlight and she drank in the warmth and coziness of the room.  At first, she had thought it a wreck, but the longer she surveyed it the more she felt a comfort to it, as though she were in a safe haven for someone in the midst of so much pomp and responsibility.